A TESCO superstore planned in Ashtead has been recommended for approval by council officers.

The move this week followed months of campaigning by objectors to the application for a 750sq-ft store at the former Esso garage site in The Street.

But the opponents remain confident the battle is not lost until Mole Valley District Council’s development control committee makes its decision on Wednesday, February 3.

A previous application for a larger 1,115sq-ft store was deemed too large and the neighbouring car park overbearing on nearby homes.

It was rejected by the council, but now the planning department has published its report on the new proposals.

“In line with officers’ conclusions, the committee may agree that the reduction in the building bulk, height and greater articulation together with other design improvements might result in an appropriate looking building,” the report said.

“It is acknowledged that the proposed car park would come closer to the rear boundary [of neighbouring homes].

"Whilst one must fully sympathise with neighbours’ objections, officers consider that it might be difficult to justify a similar refusal this time.”

Issues with the 181 spaces in the extended car park, and fewer being available for users of the Ashtead Peace Memorial Hall, may not warrant refusal either, the report added, while highways authority Surrey County Council raised no objection.

The report suggested a positive impact the Tesco store might have in terms of trade and potential customers.

“The proposed supermarket would provide for many local residents a more convenient local shopping facility where they could do their main food shop, rather than travel further afield,” it added.

A spokesman for SAVE (Save Ashtead Village Environment), Gillian Russell, nonetheless pointed out reasons why the decision was still up in the air.

“In their report the planning officers stress that their recommendation is marginal and very finely balanced,” she said.

“They make it extremely clear that the possibility is still very much open for the proposal to be rejected due to the strength of vehement public opposition against the scale of this development.”

More than 5,500 people have signed a SAVE petition and there have been more than 1,100 letters of objection.

Miss Russell also called on councillors to reject the application because, she claimed, data supplied by Tesco to support it, including regarding traffic increases caused by the store, was inaccurate.

Tesco denied this and Eoin Dardis, the company’s corporate affairs manager, added that the new plans had taken into account the previous objections, saying the new store would bring benefits for the village.

He said: “Tesco is a progressive, forward-looking company that is doing its best to be a good neighbour.”